AZERBAIJAN HAS LEGAL RIGHT TO LIBERATE OCCUPIED LAND
Leyla Tagiyeva
news.az
Nov 24 2009
Azerbaijan
Fikret Sadikhov News.Az interviews Azerbaijani political scientist
Fikret Sadikhov.
The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia have abstained from commenting
on the their recent meeting in Germany and the mediators say only that
the negotiations on Karabakh will continue. What do you think about
the prospects of a settlement, bearing in mind Aliyev’s statement
before the talks that the meeting in Munich will be decisive?
First of all, I would like to say that the meeting in Munich was the
first meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders since the signing
of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in Zurich. After the protocols were
signed, the geopolitical situation and relations between Turkey and
Azerbaijan became rather strained. Our harsh reaction to Turkey’s
move attracted attention not only from the Turks but also from the
leading Western countries. Therefore, considering the background to
the presidents’ Munich talks, I think we can expect some invigoration
and dynamism from this meeting.
In other words you think that the thaw in Turkish-Armenian relations
may have a positive influence on negotiations over Karabakh?
The very fact of the signing of the Zurich protocols damages
Azerbaijan’s interests. But the situation that followed the signing and
our harsh reaction to the signing of the document without Azerbaijan’s
interests being taken into account, the further position of Turkey
and the role of the superpowers that were behind the signatories in
Zurich prove that the situation differs from before.
The West has felt Azerbaijan’s harsh reaction. Moreover, the
Azerbaijani president spoke bluntly before the refugees. For the
first time, he said if the meeting in Munich is ineffective we will
think about stopping the negotiations and taking other actions against
the aggressor.
Do you think he meant that war is possible?
I don’t want to make such emphatic statements. But there is a certain
logic, the political logic of relations between the conflict parties.
If a party that occupied part of the land of another country has
been holding negotiations for about two decades, logic says if the
occupying country is unable and unwilling to make concessions, this
forces the occupied country to liberate its lands. It is not war. It
is Azerbaijan’s legal right to liberate its lands. We are not laying
claims on others’ lands, we are speaking of the liberation of the
occupied Azerbaijani land. And I do not rule out military action if
the negotiations are fruitless.
Is it possible to expect the Armenians to make concessions after
president Aliyev’s remarks about the possible resumption of war if
the negotiations in Munich fail?
I would like to say that even before and after the remarks I do not
trust the Armenian side as we understand that Armenia is unable to
take action independently. Much depends on the leading states, the
superpowers and, first of all, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. It is
clear that achievements will depend on their pressure, their intention
to influence Armenia. Let’s recall the recent past. I do not remember
the Azerbaijani president making such emphatic statements about the
liberation of Azerbaijani lands. This is a limit. This is a boundary
that Azerbaijan is unlikely to cross. Therefore, I want to hope and
I think Azerbaijan will be heard and understood. And the countries
backing Armenia should understand that Azerbaijan is quite determined
and it has all grounds for this determination both in terms of politics
and international law.